Things are all sorts of weird in Houston right now. The Texans just recently added the general manager title to embattled head coach Bill O’Brien’s resume following the 2019 season.
This seems to suggest that Houston is relying on O’Brien to be the long-term answer after the team blew a huge lead against the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s AFC Divisional Playoff game.
What makes this weird? We’re glad you asked.
O’Brien announced from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday that he’s giving up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
“Timmy’s done a lot of that,” O’Brien said, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s a bright guy and an excellent coach, and the players really respect him. He has great knowledge of the whole offense from the passing game to the running game.”
O’Brien was in high demand back in 2014 in large part due to his success calling plays as the Penn State interim head coach back in 2012 and 2013.
Offensive-minded head coaches don’t tend to give up play-calling duties unless forced to by the higher-ups. Whether that’s the case here remains to be seen.
Under the direction of O’Brien, Houston finished 14th in the NFL in scoring and 13th in total offense last season.